What is the secret of cracking the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET)? Jes Maria Benny would say that her 56th rank was the culmination of a course correction.
The topper from Kerala spent a year after passing the higher secondary exam to unlearn herself. She spent more time answering previous question papers than reading books. She scored 664 out of 720 marks in the NEET. She unfolds her five-point secret weapon.
1. Write and write - I have been preparing for the entrance exam for three years. I started coaching from plus-one. I have attempted thousands of model questions in the last one year. The doubts raised by the questions took my studies to new levels. The habit of learning by writing also helped me recollect answers in biology and chemistry.
2. Mock test - I did mock tests to manage time in the exam hall. I recreated exam situations and answered questions rapidly. That improved my speed a lot.
3. Biology first - I had made a habit of answering biology first to manage time. Then I would go to chemistry and then physics. I got ample time to answer physics questions.
4. Hostel life - I had to live in a hostel to prepare for entrance exams. I was surrounded by students immersed in studies. That was inspiration enough. I would study for six hours when I had class and for 12 hours when I did not have class.
5. Recharge point - I would go home to Angamaly once in two months. I would not even touch a book when I was at home. I would sleep off all the fatigue and get myself recharged for the next two months.
Of course, her strategy would not have paid off but for the support from father Benny John, mother Jesintha and brother John Benny.
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